Twinkling Lights
by hunnybehr
Summary: When our favorite group of ninjas investigate a suspicious cargo ship, they may find more than they could have ever imagined. Combination of several universes plus some original ideas (it's fan fiction, yo). T for language, mild violence (ninja fighting "hyah!"), and other reasons (explained within).
1. Introduction

Disclaimer- I don't own any part of TNMT (besides some fan paraphernalia).

* * *

Introduction

Winter settled over the city and spread its arms out as if to embrace the streets. The air was a frigid sheet that froze any moisture into a sparkling glaze on the exposed concrete and tightly shuttered windows. A bitter wind blew through the streets, making any person still lingering outdoors hunch their back against the dreadful force. Silently, snow began to fall from the swollen clouds that obscured the moon and stars, filling the freezing night with the added chill of darkness.

Not all of the city's inhabitants were dismayed by the lack of light, however; four shadows darted above abandoned alleyways and across rooftops, flickering silhouettes that went unseen by all. Their passage was as quiet as the falling snow, and nary a whisper of sound could be heard, at least until…

"It's cold as dicks out here," one of the forms complained when the group paused for a few seconds on the roof of a warehouse not too far from the loading docks. "Why are we out here freezing our asses off instead of having pizza by the warm, toasty fire pit?"

"Language, Mikey." A different voice, this one ringing with authority, responded, "And we're here 'freezing our asses off,' as you so eloquently said, because Donnie caught wind of a suspicious shipment coming from an unknown location."

"Well, actually," the tallest shadow cut in, "'caught wind' isn't as accurate as saying that I ran a complex data-analyzing program on the city's records for a few hours, as I simultaneously cross-checked the local FMC database while also regulating…"

He was interrupted as the final mysterious figure placed his hand over the other's mouth.

"Shut it, nerd," he said brusquely.

A brief tussle between the two ensued as Leonardo, the owner of authoritative voice from before, forcibly pushed them apart.

"Focus." He commanded, ignoring the muttering of his reluctantly complying brothers as he walked to the edge of the roof. Surveying the docks intently, he pointed as he caught sight of something. "That's the one we're looking for, right, Donnie?"

The tall turtle followed Leo's finger and examined the accused watercraft intently before nodding slowly. "The symbol on its flank matches the one in the database, so it seems likely that it is indeed the correct ship," Donatello said confidently.

"Well," interjected the once-downtrodden Michelangelo, "what are we waiting for?!" With a whoop, he ran to the edge and leapt off, somersaulting neatly in the air before landing deftly on his feet. "Let's go search us a big boat!" His voice echoed off the sides.

Rafael's voice was a mixture between exasperation and annoyance.

"Do you think he purposefully ignorers the whole 'ninja stealth' thing, or is he just too big of an idiot to realize he's as subtle as a herd of cattle?" He sighed.

His remaining brothers shrugged before they jumped off the roof in the same abrupt fashion as Mikey (minus the shouting) and swiftly caught up to the over-excited teenager.

Not to be outdone, Rafael took a running start and vaulted recklessly off the edge.

* * *

It had taken the foursome a full half-hour to fully infiltrate the massive S.S. Periculum, mostly due to the abnormally high number of guards that patrolled its deck. Instead of dissuading them, however, the presence of the heavily-armored men only heightened the tension between the turtles and made them extra-cautious.

Even Mikey knew that such a large amount of lookouts meant that there was _something_ hidden beneath the otherwise normal-looking cargo ship.

Leading the way, Leonardo was the first to find an inconspicuous way in: a small trapdoor made for servicing the ship's dense network of wires, pipes, and vents. Quietly, all four of the turtles slipped in the narrow passageway and crawled on their bellies until they found a vent that opened over what looked like a supply closet.

There was a hand-sized panel on the side of the door that Donatello unscrewed as the rest of his brothers clambered down. Connecting one of his gadgets to an exposed wire, he began to scroll down the screen. A few button-pushes later, and he gave a quick o.k. sign to his brothers.

"I've disabled their security cameras for a couple of hours. I couldn't see if they had any other security methods in place, though, so tread lightly."

Nodding their understanding, the group stepped into the dimly-lit hallway cautiously with their senses on high alert.

"Remember," Leo whispered, "this is a reconnaissance mission. Do not engage with anyone."

The young ninjas did not need telling twice. They knew the drill: get in, look around, and get out with hopefully none the wiser. If they found any evidence of something suspicious, such as something related to the Foot Clan, they could decide what plan of action to take back at their base, where the wisdom of Splinter-sensei could guide them. But for now, their main priority was stealth.

As they wound their way through the labyrinth-esque hallways, they eventually wound up in front of a locked door. Simple red letters printed on the cool metal read: "DESIGNATED PERSONNEL ONLY. LEVEL 7 SECURITY CLEARANCE CARD REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES."

Leonardo was quick to respond. "Can you crack the scanner, Donnie?"

"Already on it." The purple ninja grinned as he plugged in another one of his many devices to the key-reader. "Just a few more seconds and…" he said, biting his bottom lip as his thumbs typed desperately, "bingo."

With a quiet 'whoosh,' the door slid smoothly open and a rush of clinical-scented air rushed out to greet them.

"Woah," Michael said, "this place is even cleaner than _your _room, Leo."

Standing in sharp contrast to the exposed, gritty metal look of the hallway they had just passed through, the boys were greeted with a stark, seamless white corridor. Even more timidly then before, they walked down the brightly-lit pathway. It was hard to believe that they were on a cargo ship.

"I don't like this," Rafael muttered.

Leonardo understood right away. In such a bright, narrow environment, there was nowhere for them to hide if a member of the "designated personnel" was to pass by them.

Before he could call for a tactical retreat, however, the hallway opened up into a spacious room filled with complicated-looking equipment.

Donatello looked like he was going to faint.

"That's an Underheisen Extractor! It's electrical charge is controlled enough to read brain waves!" He pointed at one of the pieces of machinery before turning around with a gasp as he caught sight of a different technologic tool. "A Brogenhon Superior?! None of them were supposed to have survived WWII! It can monitor literally every cell in your body using its hydro-adapted complex! Oh and there's a…"

"Donatello! Focus!" Leonardo sharply reprimanded his younger brother. Still, the purple-banded turtle couldn't help but mutter excitedly under his breath as the turtles walked cautiously through the laboratory.

"I don't see what's the big deal about all this fancy stuff," Michelangelo said eventually, bored of stealth already, "just looks like a bunch of metal and blinky lights to me." He finished, reaching out to poke one of the machines.

Just as his finger hovered over the surface of the device, an alarm sounded from every direction and the lights turned red.

Swiftly, the turtles all turned to glare at the youngest member of the team accusingly.

"I swear I didn't touch anything," he said, his hands up.

A voice interrupted any burgeoning argument the turtles could have started on some invisible intercom system, sounding distinctly panicked.

"Breach in Subject 127's containment chamber. I repeat, breach in Subject 127's containment chamber. All security personnel come to hallway 38. Deadly force is authorized. I repeat, use of deadly for- AAAHPLEASEGODNOAAAH…"

The message ended abruptly when the nameless man screamed.

Surprised, the turtles looked to each other in consternation.

"I'm guessing this is our cue to leave?" Mikey asked hopefully.

"Nope," Leonardo said, his voice steady, "our job isn't finished yet."

"To hallway 38?" Rafael seemed a little bored.

Their young leader nodded, and, together, they headed out of the large room - straight into the belly of the ship.

* * *

_a/n- Hello dear reader(s)! Ohmygosh I can't believe someone read what I wrote *squee* thank you so much!_

_Ok, so I recently saw the new TNMT movie (Paramount) and I thought they did a pretty good job. There was some wonky stuff in there, of course, but it was a pretty decent movie. So decent in fact, it re-kindled my love for the turtles. _

_This story is a combination of several turtle universes, mostly the 2012 and a few elements mentioned in the earlier cartoons. Sorry if there's a lot of stuff that seems out of place, I'm kind of rusty. Don't hesitate to point out these mistakes (but be gentle, please, my heart is so very delicate, y'know).__*However, I did mean to make our lovable boys a little more mature, hence the swearing, so please don't go haywire on me about that.*_

_Also, in future chapters there will be some mentions of abuse/torture both mental and physical, so if you have triggers, YE BE WARNED._

_Please, please tell me what you think, what you like/dislike/hate/loathe/love, and tell me what you want, what you really, really want (yay super old references)._

_I hope that you enjoy this ride, I (tentatively) plan for it to be a long(ish) one (probably). _

_huggles,_

_hunnybehr_


	2. Coincident

_disclaimer- I don't own tnmt, but I do stake a claim to my oc's. _

* * *

Chapter 1- Coincident

The turtles walked through S.S. Periculum with as much caution as a group of teenage boys highly trained in ninjutsu could muster, feeling very out of place in the sterile environment. Evenly spaced doors led to dozens of unknown rooms, and tension rose at the possibility of any one of them being opened by an unsuspecting employee, thus breaking their tenuous grasp on secrecy. The alarm heightened the charged atmosphere; it's incessant, harsh ringing echoed to the boys' very bones.

Suddenly, Leonardo held his hand up and signaled for the group to duck around the corner of a hallway intersection. Only moments later, a group of men and women in lab coats sprinted past, panic evident on their faces. A loaded look passed between the brothers as they went down the very hallway the people had been running from, still determined to discover the source of the disturbance (well, only Leo was really determined, the others would have been fine to turn around without investigating further). On the wall, the number 38 was printed in clear black letters.

As they neared the end of the corridor, the sound of some intense struggle began to grow louder and louder. Gunfire reverberated off the walls, while shouts and cries of pain joined the din. After what seemed like eons, they reached a large steel door that read in bold yellow letters: NO ADMITTANCE WITHOUT ARMED ESCORT. LEVEL 10 SECURITY CLEARANCE CARD REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES. Slightly more nervous than before, Donatello popped open the massive metal gate, revealing the site of the action.

It was a huge room with high ceilings, but the size was diminished by the presence of what could only be described as a massive cell taking up the majority of the far wall. The cage was complete with steel bars and thick-paneled glass to allow for easy observation of whoever- or whatever- was inside. Random heavy-looking objects were scattered over the floor or suspended on industrial-grade ropes and chains.

But the "furnishings" were not what caught the turtles' eyes.

In the center of this broad space was the source of all the alarms.

For the briefest of moments, the turtles thought they had stumbled upon Slash. However, upon closer inspection, the massive reptilian biped being pummeled by bullets lacked not only the shell, but its skin was a distinct grayish-brown totally unlike the familiar green of Rafael's former pet. But the unfettered ferocity with which the creature fought, not to mention its colossal size (easily over 7 feet and 250 pounds), was reminiscent of their former accomplice.

A dozen or so security guards peppered the beast's flesh with bullets, seemingly without any effect as the pile of downed men grew. With a loud, hiss-like roar, the giant reptile-human stormed straight into a group of offenders, bowling them over with sheer strength. Its long, thick care whipped around and knocked even more of them to the ground.

"Wow," Mikey muttered, as the ninjas moved to take cover before they were noticed, "impressive."

Despite the brute's strength, there were just too many guards for it too ever win. The odds against it rose even more as reinforcements poured in from different entryways, continuing a steady stream of heavy fire. Slowly, the thing was forced to one knee and it raised its arms to shield its head, hissing in resistance.

"We should help it." All eyes turned to Leo, incredulousness clear on the faces of his brothers.

"Why!?" Rafael's tone was stubborn and surprised.

"Well," Leo said as he drew his katana, "just look at it! You can't honestly tell me that you think that it's the bad guy in this situation."

For half a second, the three more youthful members of the foursome looked at the struggle. They understood what their oldest brother meant; the creature looked desperate, even pitiful despite its mass.

"I'll follow your lead, Leo." Donatello drew his bo staff carefully.

"Oh what the hell," Mikey said, "why not? I've been itching for a good tussle, anyhow."

"Idiots," Rafael muttered, but took his sai out anyways.

Nodding at the group, Leonardo darted to one of the edges of the fight, taking out a half dozen people with the element of surprise- his brothers close behind him. He swung his katana in a blur, managing to incapacitate several more guards before they caught on to the side-attack.

Michelangelo was the least subtle, and began shouting energetically as he battled against a handful of men. He ducked and rolled under their bullets, his momentum allowing him to sweep out their legs. In a flash, he knocked them out cleanly with his nunchucks. More filed in to take their place, and he found himself temporarily surrounded. Rafael intervened, quickly disabling the ones behind Mikey's back.

"Watch yourself!" His shout was almost lost in the tumultuous fighting, but he knew that his younger brother would hear him.

Donatello held his own fairly well, the long reach of his staff giving him a slight advantage when facing guns, allowing him to dispatch of the foes before they got off more than a few shots.

Leo looked around and saw each of his brothers engaged against multiple offenders. Realizing that they were getting nowhere fast separately, he formed a spur-of-the-moment plan.

"Cut a path to the center!" His voice cut through the noise, and the ninjas were quick to assemble.

Moving in a tight cluster, the foursome managed to move much more efficiently through the crow and eventually made it to the empty circle that the reptile-human had cleared out. It seemed to notice their presence, but made no move to attack them as it focused more on the enemies with guns.

Out of the blue, it spoke as it cracked two helmeted heads forcibly together.

"Who the hell are you?" It's voice was deep and rough, matching it's burly appearance perfectly.

Taking the sudden, brusque question in stride, Leonardo responded.

"We're here to help! If you follow us, we can cut a way out of here!"

For a second, one of its - or his, as the turtles realized - red-yellow eyes stared intensely at the ninja turtles.

"Lead the way," he said, and Leo nodded as Mikey spoke.

"Follow us!" He grinned before throwing himself into the melee once again with an exuberant "Cowabunga!"

This time, the cluster loosely surrounded the giant as he moved through the crowd. Donatello had to duck as the creature's long tail whipped around and took out a couple of men, and Rafael quickly side-stepped as the reptile-human careless tossed an unconscious guard into the crowd.

Eventually, they sprinted their way to the massive set of metal doors and slipped through them before the guards could follow. Donatello messed with the lock for a few milliseconds before he nodded.

"That should hold them for a few minutes," he said. Taking advantage of the respite, the group of mutants caught their breath.

"Thank you," the large beast said.

"Don't mention it big guy," Mikey chuckled and patted him on the back. He seemed shocked, shying away from the friendly touch.

Rafael was impatient. "We should get a move on," he muttered, and, as if on cue, footsteps could be heard approaching from an adjacent hallway.

It did not take long for the group to flee down the twisting network of hallways leading to the supply closet the turtles had entered through. As they neared the first door, however, the colossal lizard-man halted in his tracks.

"What's the problem?" Donatello sounded desperate to leave the strange ship behind.

The stranger shook his head. "Thank you again for helping me, but I can't leave yet. There's something that I can't leave behind."

"Can't we come back for it later?" Michelangelo sighed.

"Sorry," the monster shrugged, and took off down an intersecting hallway.

Groaning, the turtles followed him. At the stranger's questioning glance, Leonardo shrugged.

"We finish the jobs that we start."

They continued running and just as one of the ninjas was poised to ask the purpose of their running, the reptile skidded to a halt before a door with the same red letters on it as the one that held him (though this door was much smaller).

Donnie didn't need to to be told what to do, and he quickly cracked open the lock. The lizard-man held up a clawed hand as the turtles moved to follow him inside the darkened room.

"Wait out here," he said, and, for some reason, they trusted him, and waited.

A few minutes later, he came out with a medium-ish bundle of sheets cradled in his arms as if it was made of glass.

"Let's go," he growled, and they took off running.

* * *

A few close calls later (one of them involving Mikey stubbing a toe and cursing loudly), and the group had managed to sneak their way to the docks. From behind a large shipping crate, the ninjas watched the seemingly nondescript vessel they had just spent a few hazardous hours breaking out of for some sign of their escape being noticed. Noticing no such indication, a sigh went out of the teens, taking with it a good amount of tension.

With some of the pressure gone, they could now focus on the next biggest issue: the giant reptilian human they had just aided in breaking out of a shady-seeming laboratory/boat thingy.

For all they knew, he could very well be some mutant criminal or a weapon programmed to kill people.

"Ok," Leo started, "now that that's over," he gestured to the ship in reference to 'that,' "what is your plan, big guy?"

The behemoth seemed puzzled, then scratched his head a little shame-faced.

"W-well, uh," he stuttered, "I actually hadn't thought ahead that far."

The teenagers shared a glance with each other.

"Well," Mikey said, "you could come live with us! We have tons of space and there's no way that those people could find you in the sewers!"

Rafael quickly pulled him away. The other two followed, making a quick huddle.

"What the hell are you talking about? We don't know if we can trust him!" Rafael was incensed.

Donatello agreed. "My sentiments exactly."

"Woah, guys, think for a second." Michelangelo held his hands up defensively, "It'd be easier to keep an eye on him if he lived with us, right?"

Stunned, his brothers looked at him blankly.

"That," Rafael said slowly, "actually makes sense."

Mikey looked hurt. "What, it's not as if I've never made sense before now. Right, guys? Wait, don't walk away! I've made some good plans before, right Leo?"

Leonardo shrugged noncomitedly as he turned back to where the lizard-man was awaiting the teen turtles' decision.

"You may come with us," he said simply, and with that, the turtles began the journey home.

They climbed the rooftops of their city easily, slowed down only marginally by the fact that their new addition refused to let go of his mysterious bundle. He seemed mostly unhampered by his burden, regardless, so they made fairly good time.

They kept moving, unwilling to pause long enough for the cold of winter nights to catch up to them. From time to time, however, they had to pause as the beast grew weaker. The ninjas weren't especially surprised by these breaks, as they had witnessed the horrid beating he had just faced against a crowd of armed men by himself, not to mention all the things that had happened to him on the boat that they had not seen. So, it was easy for even Rafael to forgive the occasional halt in their progress.

As the sun began to rise over the lightly snow-dusted city, making everything sparkle brilliantly, the group arrived at one of the entrances to their base.

Donatello, Michelangelo, and Rafael went first, and Leonardo made sure the stranger made it down with his bundle safely before jumping the hole himself, securely shutting the manhole after them.

Bending over in the narrow tunnel, they all trudged slowly to the sewer centers. So close to safety, they began to really feel the effects of a sleepless night full of tension and action. There was no point in giving in to their weaknesses with their goal nearly in sight, so the they all trudged on until they came before one of their special doors.

Donatello had rigged it up specially: all he had to do was hack the simple lock and the rusted door swung open easily.

"We're back." Michelangelo called loudly, hanging his weapons up carelessly and removing his mask with a sense of relief. Rafael rolled his eyes at his brother's lack of caution as he stubbornly held on to his sai (but he did remove all his other equipment).

The lizard-man stood awkwardly to the side, obviously unsure of what to do with himself.

"My sons," a warm, aged voice called from one of the various tunnel ways, "I see that you have all returned safely." The source of the voice emerged from the shadows, revealing a rat-like mutant with greying whiskers. "I see you have brought a stranger into our home." He added, but there was not ire in the word stranger.

"Splinter-sensei." The four turtles muttered respectfully, bowing in the presence of their father-teacher.

"This is…" Leo began, but realized something, "I don't even know your name."

The stranger in question seemed to think a little bit before responding. "You may call me Bach."

"Ok. This is Bach, father, and we helped him escape from the suspicious ship that Donnie sniffed out in the docks. He needed a place to stay, and we have the space. " Leo explained. Splinter nodded gravely and stepped forward to examine the man closer.

"Strange, strange," he muttered as he looked the poor creature up and down, "you, my friend, are quite the oddity, hmm?" Without waiting for an answer, the old man continued, "Well, I guess that I'm not one to talk." Here, he chuckled. "Anyways, I do hope that you do not repay my boys' charity with violence, hmm? Now, all of you, come inside."

With that, he turned and walked deeper into the tunnels. Bach followed behind, still clinging to his bundle like a drowning man does to a piece of driftwood. He moved slowly, obviously exhausted (not to mention injured). Splinter's sharp eyes did not fail to notice his discomfort, and he beckoned to the large man-creature.

"Come, I will show you to your room."

Still cautious, the turtles followed closely behind Bach and Splinter.

They arrived at a smallish room with a single bed and a ragged-looking sofa tucked into the corner.

"It may be a little tight, but this room should do for now," he said, kindly allowing Bach to enter first.

"Thank you," the tall beast said, and then delicately laid his bundle on the bed.

"What is that thing?" Mikey interjected, poking his head around Splinter's shoulder.

Bach smiled softly, the tender expression at odds to his otherwise menacing demeanor.

"It's one of the only things that have ever mattered to me," he said, then he began to untangle the sheet from the said 'thing'.

Even Rafael was curious enough to crowd in behind his father, and so the whole ninja family peered curiously at the sight of such a large being delicately handling a relatively small parcel of cloth. They gasped as the bundle was fully unraveled, revealing its contents.

Inside of the layers of sheets lay a small, delicate girl (it was obviously female, how else would such a feminine face exist?) whose gray-green scales reflected the dim lighting as pale shades of purple-blue.

"My Star," Bach whispered, lightly adjusting her unconscious body on the bed.

He did not seem to notice the turtle's shock.

* * *

_a/n- Hello again! Thanks so much for reading this chapter! I apologize for any mistakes *hangs head in shame*_

_So I have introduced my oc's yaaay! You'll be seeing a lot more of them in the future huhuhu_

_Pleasepleaseplease tell me if you have ANYTHING to say about this story so far (be gentle, pwease). _

_I plan to switch to a more personal perspective next chapter, so be prepared. _

_huggles,_

_hunnybehr_


	3. Understanding and Ignorance

Chapter 2- Understanding and Ignorance

Leonardo wasn't quite sure what to think about how Bach -the potentially dangerous stranger he and his brothers had invited into their secret domain- had just unveiled the fact that he had been carrying around what was, in essence, a lifeless body. His mind churned in a feeble attempt to wrap itself around present events, but before even a modicum of understanding could surface, Mikey summed up his entire emotional state with a single, short exclamation.

"What?!" The young turtle's mouth hung open in disbelief. In fact, all of the boys seemed to have some trouble with their jaw muscles as shock rippled through them.

Splinter, however, managed to maintain his composure with a sort of ageless grace, though Leo did not miss the fact that his back tensed considerably.

"I wanted to allow you and my sons some time to rest, but I'm afraid it will have to wait," he said, turning in the doorway and gesturing with one of his clawed hands, "Come, Bach-san, we have many things to discuss."

With that, the ninja family began walking down the hallway, but halted as they saw that the scaly stranger did not move. Again, Splinter was the first to understand.

"She will be safe, Bach-san. We will not travel far."

Slowly, with a great sense of reluctance, the monstrous man turned and followed the aged rat into a room with a large table set in the middle and a small kitchenette in the corner.

"Donatello, please gather medical supplies, and Mikey, please get some food for us and our guest." Nodding obediently, the two left. Rafael sat at the table with a huff and began sharpening his sai, glaring at the stranger all the while. With much more finesse, Splinter sat beside his hot-tempered son, gesturing for lizard-man to do the same on the opposite side of the table.

Leo decided that he would give Bach the benefit of the doubt and sat next to him. He leaned back, relaxing his weary muscles slightly, but he kept his right hand on one of his katana at all times, taking extra care (unlike Raf) to be discreet. Leonardo was cautious, not impolite.

Splinter studied the man across from him, black eyes sparkling with curiosity as he steepled his fingers meditatively. The silence grew, and not a word was said even as Donatello and Mikey returned with a first-aid kit and tall stack of pizzas, respectively. Finally, the greyed sensei spoke as his final sons settled around the table.

His voice was quiet, and soft, but it belied an intensity that transformed the otherwise casual gathering of mutants into an interrogation.

"Bach-san, before I begin, you should know that I ask these questions not only because I am a nosy old man, but also because I am concerned for the safety and well-being of my family. If you are not honest with answering any of these questions, I promise you that there will be consequences."

"Who are you, exactly? Why were you on that boat? How did you become like you are, and who made you like this? For what purpose do you exist: the good, or the evil?"

The massive beast-man shifted slightly, and the chair creaked dangerously with the movement. His dusty brown scales rustled, a whisper-like sound that echoed through the largish room and sounded like dry leaves in the fall. Clearing his throat, he began. His deep voice filled the room in the same fashion that his body filled the space. Each word was said slowly, with a sort of meticulousness that sounded almost painful in its precision.

"I was born 19 years ago as a human. I cannot remember my original name, but when I was four, or perhaps five, _they_ stole me from the memories of the remaining time I spent as a human are very blurry, but I recall a great amount of pain over several days. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a cage, and my body had been changed."

Leonardo listened intently, careful not to miss a single word. Across the table, Splinter sat with his eyes closed, only the stiffness in the line of his shoulders and the occasional twitch of his ears to show that he was still awake and listening as closely as his eldest son. And all the while, Bach continued his life story.

"You ask me how I was made into this, but I do not know what science they used, and even if I did, I doubt that I could understand it. All I know is that I am subject number 127, and the only other 'success' was four years after I was made: subject number ask me my purpose. My purpose was decided the moment I met her."

The lizard-man looked at his hands, his expression softening for a briefest instant. Leonardo tucked the information away for examination at a later date, for he had no time as the stranger continued speaking.

"They kept us in the same cage, for they did not have the resources back then as they do now. She was three when they found and changed her. Her body did not adapt like mine, however, and remained frail and weak. Eventually, they decided to use two different methods on us. With me, they would test me physically, and with her, they would test her mentally. The following years, she shared with me some of what they taught her and told me stories of her knowledge of the outside world."

"Eventually, we gave each other names. She called me Bach, after music that they played for her once, and I called her Star, after the stars that she taught me about. They reminded me of her: so small, so distant, and so very, very, bright. Even though everything that they did to her hurt her more than what they did to me, she would always try to make me feel okay. She became my only friend. She is my weak little sister. "

Here, Bach's amber eyes burned gold with intensity. His hands curled into fists; his long claws dug into his scaly palms. He did not seem to notice, however, as his deep voice rumbled an assertion that Leonardo would never forget.

"I decided that one day, when I was strong enough, I would be the one to free her. I would release us into the world where the stars shined."

Even Mikey, who had been quietly sneaking slices of pizza, paused after hearing the ferocious _tenacity_ with which the man had spoken. Rafael narrowed his eyes and folded his arms, having long since finished sharpening and polishing his weapons. The sharp sai gleamed in the dim lighting, drawing Leo's gaze for only an instant before his attention snapped back to the still speaking lizard.

"A few years ago, we were separated into different, brighter cages. They became crueler, and I grew stronger as their tests became harder. I could have broken out months ago, but I didn't know where Star was until one of them mentioned her number only two days ago. 'He wants to see subject 253, we must move it to the proper location,' the man said."

"It took 48 hours for there to be even a chance at us escaping. But I was weaker than I realized. If your sons had not appeared when they did, I would have failed, and my Star would be beyond my reach. For that, I thank you."

Bach paused here, and for an instant Leonardo assumed his tale was finished. However, just as he was considering what to say, the story ended with an abrupt, but calm, statement.

"But, even now, my purpose remains the same; I exist for her. If that makes me evil, than so be it."

* * *

_a/n- Hello again! Sorry for the semi-late update, but this chapter was hard for me (I don't do background info too well XP)._

_I hope you guys will come to like Bach and Star, because you'll be seeing a lot more of them (hello, this is an OC story lol). _

_Thanks much to TurtleGarg81, __nightfuryperson, and nikolet for the follow/fav. Thank you mysterious Guest for the review. _

_Tell me what you like/dislike if it excites/bothers you._

_hugs,_

_hunnybehr_


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